Garter-clasp.



PATENTED DEG.'-31, 1907.

W. 0. FINNEY. GARTER CLASP. APPLICATION FIL ED 1120.14. 1804.

rm: NORRIS P: :0, WASHINGTON, n.c.,

WILLIAM G. FINNEY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

GARTER-CLASP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 31, 1907.

Application filed December 14:, 1904. erial No. 236,905.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. FINNEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at ashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented a newand useful Improvement in a Garter-Clasp, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates generally to clasps and more particularly to aclasp intended to be used in connection with a garter or hose supporter,the object being to provide a simple, inexpensive and eflicientconstruction of clasp, which will securely hold the hose but will nottear the same.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clasp, in which theclamping members are formed from a single piece of sheet metal and inwhich the operating lever is held be tween the said members free frompivots, thereby enabling said lever to be quickly and easily attachedand detached as desired.

W'ith these and certain other objects in view, my invention consistsessentially in forming the two clamping members from a single piece ofspring metal bent upon itself, said members being so constructed andarranged as to clasp the hose when their free ends are brought together,and a lever detachably held between the said members and adapted tooperate upon them for the purpose of bringing their free ends together.

The invention consists also in certain details of construction andnovelty of arrange ment, all of which will be fully describedhereinafter and pointed out in the charms.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification :Figure- 1 is aplan view of the blank from which the clasp with the exception of thelever, is made. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the completeclasp open. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the coin-' pleteclasp closed. Fig. lis a detail perspective view showing the clasp incourse of construction, the buckle being detached therefrom. Fig. 4 is adetail perspective view of the operating lever detached. Fig. 5 is arear view of the complete clasp closed. Fig. 6 is a vertical sectionalview of the same. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of a slightlymodified form of clasp. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of same taken fromthe rear side, the buckle being omitted. Fig. 9 is a vertical sectionalview of the modified form of clasp. Fig. 10 is a view of the blank uponwhich the said clasp is made.

In constructing a clasp in accordance with my invention, I employ arectangular shaped piece of spring metal A, which is notched uponopposite sides as shown at A, and bent upon itself at this point,providing the clamping members B and C, the free ends thereof, beingbent as shown at B, and C, in order to securely clasp the hose or othergarment when the free ends of the jaws are brought together. Atransverse slot C is produced adjacent the lower end of the inner member0 and through which the tape or elastic passing up upon the inner faceof the member C and through a buckle E, from which the clasp issuspended as most clearly shown, the said tape or elastic webbing Dserving as a cushion covering the lower end of the inner member andthereby preventing the tearing of the hose or other garment to besupported. The manner of connecting the tape or elastic webbing to theclasp and buckle, is most clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 9. The outermember B has two parallel longitudinal slots B produced therein and theintervening portion or tongue F is pressed inwardly as most clearlyshown in Figs. 4 and 6, the member as a whole being curved outwardly,and at the lower ends of the slit B are produced the lateral notches Bthe purpose of which will appear hereinafter.

The inner member C isupset or curved transversely as shown at G, thesaid upset or curved portion projecting toward the forward member andthe inner member has a bracing finger H punched therefrom, said fingerbeing arranged centrally and longitudinally as shown and extending fromthe upper portion of the upset or curved part G, across to the lower endof the same, the lower end of said finger fitting into a' slot H,produced in the inner member 0, just below the upset or curved portionG. This bracing finger keeps the inner member in its proper shape duringthe manipulation of the clasp. Lateral notches H are arranged upon thesides of the opening produced by punching out the finger H and thesenotches H are adapted to register with the notches B, when the membersof the clasp are brought together thereby permitting the head I of thelever I to be inserted or passed through the said notches so that saidhead can be ar ranged between the inner faces of the upset portion G andthe outer face of the depressed tongue F as most clearly shown in Figs.5

and 6. When the end of the lever is thrown downwardly as shown in Fig.2, the clasp will open owing to the inherent elasticity of the metalfrom which the members are made and when the lever is turned up as shownin Figs. 3, 5 and 6, the ends of the clamping members will be broughtforcibly together owing to the fact that the head of the lever pressesdownwardly or inwardly upon the. tongue portion F of the outer memberand upwardly or forwardly upon the upset or curved portion of the innermember thereby bringing the two members close together and it will benoted that the head of the lever has a free movement between. the partsin contradistinction from a pivotally or confined movement and when itassumes the position shown in Fig. 6, it is obvious that it will beimpossible for it to become accidentally unlocked inasmuch. as thepressure is applied from both sides in. such a manner to prevent anymovement of the said lever except pressure to be applied to the free endthereof.

In Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10 l. have shown a very slight modification inwhich. the blank K is notched as shown at K and folded centrally at thatpoint, providing the outer member L, and the inner member M, the ends ofsaid members being bent exactly the same as heretofore and the innermember is slotted transversely adjacent its lower end as shown at M forthe purpose of receiving the tape or elastic webbing. The same form ofbuckle is also used in connection with this form of clasp. The outermember L has a longitudinal opening L produced therein, and the in nermember has a tongue M punched therefrom, said tongue being curvedupwardly or outwardly and has its free end M, arranged to bear upon thelower end of the opening L, as most clearly shown in Fig. 9, and thelever N is inserted between the upset portion 0, of

the inner member and this tongue M as most clearly shown in Figs. 8 and9, lateral notches being provided exactly the same as heretoforedescribed for the purpose of permitting the introduction of the head ofthe lever. The operation of the clasp constructed in this slightlymodified form, is identically the same as the operation of the claspshown in Fig. to 6 inclusive.

It will thus be seen that I provide an eX- ceedingly simple, durable andefficient form of clasp, particularly adapted for use in connection withhose supporters inasmuch as the said. clasp can be quickly and easilyopenedv and closed. and. will not tear the hose or other garment whichit is intended to support.

Having thus fully described. my invention, what I claim as new and.desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A clasp comprising two resiliently connected members, the innermember being transversely upset and slotted longitudinally, the slotbisecting the upset portion, a tongue punched from the outer member, andextending inwardly, said tongue passing through the slot of the innermember, and a lever passing loosely through the outer member and havinga head resting loosely between. the tongue and the upset portion of theinner member, said head lying upon the inner face of the inner member,as and for the purpose set forth.

A clasp comprising a piece of spring metal bent upon itself providingtwo clamping members, the inner member being transversely upset andhaving a central longitudinal opening, the outer member beinglongitudinally slotted and having an inwardly depressed tongue a leverheld between. said tongue and the transverse upset portion of the innermember, and a bracing finger carried by. the inner member and extendingacross the transverse upset portion.

3. A clasp comprising a piece of spring metal bent upon itself providingtwo clamping members, the inner member being upset transversely andhaving a longitudinal bracing portion punched therefrom and extendingacross the upset portion, the other memher being slotted longitudinallyand having a longitudinal depressed portion, and a lever having atransverse head, said head being held between the depressed portion ofthe outer member and the upset portion of the inner member, for thepurpose described.

NM. C. FINNEY. W itnesses:

VJARREN H. OROUTT, CnAnLEs F. DICKENS.

